About this blog

The Rev. Timothy Cargal, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Stated Clerk for Preparation for Ministry in Mid Council Ministries of the Office of the General Assembly.

“... the Land that I Will Show You” is the blog of the Office of Preparation for Ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This blog is designed to serve as a resource for those discerning and preparing for a call to the ministry of Word and Sacrament as ordained teaching elders of the church. It will also provide a place for reflecting on and dialoging about the changing context of pastoral ministry in the early 21st century.

For quick announcements about changes or developments in the preparation process, dates related to exams or other key events, discussion boards, surveys, etc., you can follow us on Facebook at “Preparing for Presbyterian Ministry.”

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PCC Letter on BCE Preparation

Today the Presbyteries' Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) sent the following message to all CPM moderators and PC(USA) contact persons at theological seminaries:

Greetings:

The members of the Bible Task Group and the Executive Committee of the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) are writing in response to concerns raised about the most recent Bible Content Exam (BCE), administered in September 2015. We have discussed the exam and related issues and have agreed to send this letter with a reiteration of suggested approaches to preparing for the BCE. We also are offering to assist Presbyteries and other groups with preparation of candidates for the upcoming BCE in February 2016 and for future exams.

The best approach for preparing to take the BCE is to study the Bible itself and to review materials that aid understanding its “stories, themes, and key passages” (the areas to be assessed established by the General Assembly). For several years now the PCC and Office of Preparation for Ministry have offered the following advice through the Exams Handbook and online training resources:

Read widely in the Bible (preferably the New Revised Standard Version used for all citations in the English BCE) in order to become familiar with the style and content of its different books.

Review the outlines and introductions in study Bibles and Bible dictionaries, taking time to look up and read verses cited in support of key points about the individual books’ contents and central themes.

Take one or two publicly available exams (including the practice test on the testing system offered to registrants in the month prior to the BCE) to assist in identifying areas within the canon of relative strength and weakness and in order to focus preparation.

The key thing to remember is that BCE tests given prior to 2009 are now just like practice tests in ACT/SAT/GRE study guides; they can help someone understand the types of questions and subject areas that will present them with the most difficulty. However, reviewing past tests will generally not be as effective as the methods mentioned above in strengthening one’s breadth of knowledge regarding the specific questions that will be encountered on the BCE.

There are also a few widely available books that provide reviews of the basic content of the Bible that may be useful in preparing for the BCE. We believe all of these resources and techniques are the most efficient ways to prepare for the exam. There may still be individual questions that are more specific than the content gleaned from a general study of the Bible. However, we strive to create every Bible Content Exam in a way that reflects its purpose to examine the stories, themes and key passages of the Bible, maintaining the requirement of a score of 70 out of 100 possible points to achieve a passing score.

All six members of the Bible Task Group and additional members of the PCC along with Tim Cargal, staff support to the PCC, are willing and ready to meet with representatives from presbyteries and seminaries in their area. If you are interested in such assistance, please contact Kathy Riley, Chair of the PCC Bible Task Group at kathyriley.523@gmail.com or contact Tim Cargal at Tim.Cargal@pcusa.org.